In response to the breaches case: Maresca gives his blessing to the "banana revolution" at Manchester City
Enzo Maresca, the Manchester City manager, has revealed that his four children have joined the strange wave of enthusiasm sweeping the club's supporters, asking him to bring inflatable bananas to the stadium. The Italian hopes that scene is repeated against Ipswich Town on Saturday evening, with controversy mounting around the club after the verdict in the financial breaches case.
City host their first Premier League home game since the verdict landed, and expectations are that the stands will turn into a sea of yellow. Inflatable bananas appeared among the team's supporters during the win over Liverpool in the last round.
Maresca said, in comments carried by "The Sun": "This is wonderful! I hope to see plenty of bananas in the stadium. I didn't know the story behind this phenomenon."
The Italian manager added: "It creates a lovely atmosphere for the fans and for everyone inside the stadium. I have four children, and they have already asked me about it, and they will be at the stadium, so we will see what happens."
Those inflatable bananas date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when Manchester City were bouncing between the second and third divisions. They have returned strongly in recent times as a symbol of the fans' loyalty, and a sarcastic response to the pressure and criticism aimed at the club, amid fears of sanctions that could extend to relegation.
According to the newspaper, Manchester City ordered around 11,000 inflatable bananas from a company owned by Imre Varadi, the former club striker who picked up the nickname "Imre Banana". He has been invited to attend the match as a special guest, too.
Reports indicate that the club's management initially considered providing 60,000 balloons, a figure close to the Etihad Stadium's total capacity of around 61,000.
All of this unfolds while City continue to deny committing any breaches, sticking to their appeal against the verdict in a case that relates to the use of contracts described by the relevant authorities as fictitious, with the aim of inflating revenues by around £830 million between 2009 and 2018.
